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Tatsea
Winner of the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction and the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award (Manitoba Writing and Publishing Awards).Set in Canada's Subarctic in the late 1700s, a time when the Dogrib people were under constant threat of attack by raiders supplied with European weapons. After Ikotsali saves Tatsea and her father following a huntingaccident, Tatsea is obliged to marry their strange-looking rescuer. One day when Ikotsali is away from camp, raiders arrive and kill everyone. The only lives spared are those of Tatsea, who is captured, and their infant daughter, whom she has hidden. When Ikotsali returns to find the carnage, the story of their struggle to survive and be reunited begins."Tatsea brings back the years when our grandparents lived their lives."--Mike Nitsiza, counsellor, Mezi Community School, Wha Ti, Northwets Territories
- GenresHistorical FictionCanada
Paperback
First published April 30, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 20, 2017
Goodreads has too many 5 star ratings in the front page of searched page. So let’s find out what indigo has to say, Indigo has a lot of 5 ratings same with Amazon. However, I’m going to have to give Tatsea a 4 star rating, because it has the Inuit and White people, it’s a good mix for a book.
Just saying, but truthfully, I didn’t really read Tatsea. I was either asleep or absent. Although, I still give it a 4 star. (I was reading this in class).
Just saying, but truthfully, I didn’t really read Tatsea. I was either asleep or absent. Although, I still give it a 4 star. (I was reading this in class).
February 22, 2021
This is a great read. The story weaves Tlicho history, cosmology, and tradition into a story that explores the hardships of life on the land and the brutality of life during early colonization. I loved the nucleus of the three main characters and how their bond manifested in different ways.
The story is well-written, has excellent pacing, and is engaging. I definitely
recommend this if you are interested in stories about Indigenous people, cultural history, or learning more about traditional life in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
The story is well-written, has excellent pacing, and is engaging. I definitely
recommend this if you are interested in stories about Indigenous people, cultural history, or learning more about traditional life in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
March 13, 2017
I found that Tatsea is a good and interesting book. It's about a girl becoming a woman who marries a frog faced man and has a child with him. I was confused for awhile because I didn't understand the plot, but Intel I realized that in each chapter it was jumping from Tatsea and Ikohtsali it made more sense to me.
Tatsea gets taken from her camp and brought in a canoe and she leaves her baby, but luckily Ikohtsail came back and seen his baby. Tatsea was with blue leg and red coat, the only way she got away from them is when they drank and they fell asleep and Tatsea suck away. The book takes long to get to the action, the book was great story but it took too long to get to the action.
I liked the way they got food and made there shelters, they were prepared and ready from a young age to know how to survive in the wiled alone, but in the end Tatsea and Ikohtsali finds each other and Tatseas love for Ikohsali is more then she loved him before.
I'm gonna give this book a 4 star rating because i like the authors writing style and they way he explained everything was excellent it was interesting book and kept me entertained.
Tatsea gets taken from her camp and brought in a canoe and she leaves her baby, but luckily Ikohtsail came back and seen his baby. Tatsea was with blue leg and red coat, the only way she got away from them is when they drank and they fell asleep and Tatsea suck away. The book takes long to get to the action, the book was great story but it took too long to get to the action.
I liked the way they got food and made there shelters, they were prepared and ready from a young age to know how to survive in the wiled alone, but in the end Tatsea and Ikohtsali finds each other and Tatseas love for Ikohsali is more then she loved him before.
I'm gonna give this book a 4 star rating because i like the authors writing style and they way he explained everything was excellent it was interesting book and kept me entertained.
November 8, 2012
A love story and an adventure story all rolled up into one! Author, Armin Wiebe, has created a one of a kind classic northern story set in the 1760s about a man, Ikotsali, with frog medicine power who is separated from Tatsea, the woman he loves after a raiding party separates them. Not only does Ikotsali have to save his wife, he has to protect their baby. This story is epic
January 24, 2021
Armin Wiebe was briefly an instructor of mine at Red River College. I mentioned one day to him that I liked his writing, and he segued immediately into a "be sure to buy my book." And I actually had! What a guy. So yeah, he got my 25$.
A really good novel, it feels carefully researched and written, sensitive. Should this Mennonite southern Manitoba man write about a girl from a northern First Nation from so long before? I don't know- I suppose I'd say that if so he had better do it well. And I feel Tatsea is mostly what it should be.
It compliments Farley Mowat's Lost in the Barrens as a much more bleak and realistic tale of survival than the latter.
A really good novel, it feels carefully researched and written, sensitive. Should this Mennonite southern Manitoba man write about a girl from a northern First Nation from so long before? I don't know- I suppose I'd say that if so he had better do it well. And I feel Tatsea is mostly what it should be.
It compliments Farley Mowat's Lost in the Barrens as a much more bleak and realistic tale of survival than the latter.
July 30, 2023
Wonderfully well researched tale of culture clash, spirituality and familial love. Recommended for all fans of historical fiction.
March 13, 2017
Tatsea. Full of adventure, romance and chaotic scenes all in one book. I think this book is a great option for young adults. I liked the book. I like the back and forth between the author telling what was happening with Tatsea and what was happening with Ikotsali. Although the book wasn't very long I think that there could have been less chapters. Tatsea is about two young indigenous adults and their child who encounter an attack to their small community by enda raiders. Tatsea captured, and Ikotsali forced to care for their child with out food or shelter. Now both Tatsea and Ikotsali have to remember the things their parents and grand parents taught them, or come up with new ways to survive if they don't have the tools they need. Both did a great job displaying that they could figure out new ways to get things done, things as easy as eating dinner. Tatsea escaped the enda raiders.At this point in the story no one is sure what will happen... Tatsea came upon a group of white males. Tatsea "captured" once again, or as she thinks. Both Ikotsali and Tatsea struggle to find each other. Soon they feel as if they will never find each other again. As they give up they both use their spiritual connection to navigate along the river. As it gets near to the end of the book we start to wonder weather or not that this young family will ever be reunited. At the end of the book I was amazed on how both managed to survive with all the struggles they had. I am giving this book four stars, it wasn't the best book but it wasn't the worst.
February 24, 2017
Tatsea is an amazing book with a great plot. It has many special tools to keep you hooked, and well they worked for me, with short chapters leaving you curious what happens next. I got hooked to Tatsea but I’m only giving it a three star rating because the book was really slow. I personally liked the action in the book but I didn’t like how long the author would wait for more action like in certain occasions even three chapters. I suggest you read this book if you’re looking for a great story but if you’re looking for an action packed book I suggest otherwise. It’s a love based story where two lovers are suppurated by the Enda raiders who come and sculpt everyone in their Dogrib community. Tatsea is taken to do work for the Enda raiders, as her husband Itkosali was out fishing so chased but never killed. So he starts an adventure to find is lover Tatsea. But during the entire struggle Tatsea left the baby in the moss bag as she was taken away. So Itkosali returned to the camp to hear the baby crying in the tree so he is left with the baby. The book is a bumpy ride for both lovers as they started to give up. Hitting rough patches along the way like blizzards and other certain obstacles will they find each other again? The book teaches you about the northern culture how it was not easy living in the past. The influence the fur traders had on the people to want more and more and more. The way the traders made the people change their attitude towards the other tribes and the way things are done. The book is a great book but it’s a little slow. All in all the book represents great bravery, love and the northern people’s culture.
February 24, 2017
Tatsea is a one of a kind book. An action filled, adventurous, chaotic, and romance all in one book!!! The book Tatsea is a story based from Wah Ti in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Tatsea is a great mix of aboriginal and European fur traders in the 1760s, which makes one great book. Tatsea is about a man Ikosali (frog faced man) who saves Tatsea and her father the chef of Wah Ti from a caribou ramming into Tatsea’s father and in return Tatsea’s father lets Ikosali marry her. Tatsea doesn`t want to get marry to Ikosali but they do and they have a baby but not too long after when Tatsea was bathing, her baby was in her moss bag on and branch of a tree and ikosail was gathering resources Enda raiders came and took Tatsea. She quickly hid the baby on a tree and the Enda raider kept Tatsea alive to keep her captive and killed the rest of their tribe but the Enda raider had not seen the baby. When Ikosali came back from gathering resources he finds out his tribe had been killed but when all hope was gone for lkosail he heard a cry and it was his baby hanging on the tree branch so he got his baby and went on a risky journey to find Tatsea. It was a very bumpy journey for Tatsea and Ikosali especially for Ikosali and the baby to follow her lead but when Tatsea and Ikosali couldn’t find each other that is when Ikosali pick up a trail spiritually and Ikosali found the camps Tatsea and the captor were in and things were slowly began to unravel for Ikosali and soon enough Tatsea, Ikosali and their baby were united again physically and spiritually. I would give this book five stars because Airmen Webb has done a very good job for the book about Tatsea. It’s a very interesting, well composed, heartwarming. It’s the book that you just want to keep reading!
February 21, 2017
I found the Tatsea novel very interesting after a while of it. At first it was pretty boring because nothing was going on but after a few chapters and the action started with the raids happening I found it enjoyable.
At first it was confusing because I didn’t know that the novel would jump between Tatsea and Ikohtsali after each chapter. Once I figured it out the plot was quite easy to follow.
I found the way they survived and then later found each other pretty enjoyable but also unbelievable. For example I didn’t believe the part where the bushman came and put Ikohtsali under a spell then disappeared with the baby. I personally do not believe in the supernatural so couldn’t find that part and parts where they communicated mentally unbelievable.
I did enjoy the parts where they build shelters and trap for food because they grew up practicing to do that they’re whole lives. That kind of stuff from the novel I can find believable and I might open to an argument on how they found each other and both had experiences with Blueleg coincidently.
Overall I liked this novel. I found it interesting and enjoyable considering it has something to do with my culture and there was a considerable amount of action and adventure in the book.
At first it was confusing because I didn’t know that the novel would jump between Tatsea and Ikohtsali after each chapter. Once I figured it out the plot was quite easy to follow.
I found the way they survived and then later found each other pretty enjoyable but also unbelievable. For example I didn’t believe the part where the bushman came and put Ikohtsali under a spell then disappeared with the baby. I personally do not believe in the supernatural so couldn’t find that part and parts where they communicated mentally unbelievable.
I did enjoy the parts where they build shelters and trap for food because they grew up practicing to do that they’re whole lives. That kind of stuff from the novel I can find believable and I might open to an argument on how they found each other and both had experiences with Blueleg coincidently.
Overall I liked this novel. I found it interesting and enjoyable considering it has something to do with my culture and there was a considerable amount of action and adventure in the book.
March 31, 2017
Tatsea was a very interesting book. What I really liked about it was how realistic it was. It was not a fairytale. It portrayed how people really had to survive a long time ago, how the people had to work hard for their needs. Today, some of us barely have to lift a finger to have a meal everyday.
The plot was very exciting and every time we put down the book I wanted to read on. The book includes spirituality, family, and survival; which are very important topics to include in a book about indeginous peoples. The journey of Tatsea and her family, the damage the raiders have left, the details were incorporated nicely. The book also has a fair share of violence. The Enda raiders killed for their hair, and I wish we knew why. I also wished we knew why Ikotsali had sores on his face, and it would be interesting if he had the ability to turn into a frog like the story Tatsea was told. I do recommend reading this book. I honestly would love to see this as a movie. However, I wouldn't consider this as my favourite book because it didn't have a shocking or even an appealing plot twist. I enjoy books that make me think about the ending days and days after I have read the last page. Although it ended with the family reuniting and being together, the end could have been told in many more ways.
The plot was very exciting and every time we put down the book I wanted to read on. The book includes spirituality, family, and survival; which are very important topics to include in a book about indeginous peoples. The journey of Tatsea and her family, the damage the raiders have left, the details were incorporated nicely. The book also has a fair share of violence. The Enda raiders killed for their hair, and I wish we knew why. I also wished we knew why Ikotsali had sores on his face, and it would be interesting if he had the ability to turn into a frog like the story Tatsea was told. I do recommend reading this book. I honestly would love to see this as a movie. However, I wouldn't consider this as my favourite book because it didn't have a shocking or even an appealing plot twist. I enjoy books that make me think about the ending days and days after I have read the last page. Although it ended with the family reuniting and being together, the end could have been told in many more ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews